Magicians are master choreographers of attention. The success of their misdirection often lies in their eye movements and the eye movements of their audiences. In this presentation, Dr. Barnhart will highlight the myriad relationships between eye movements and awareness, using live performance and video to demonstrate discoveries from his laboratory and future directions in the science of magic research program. Along the way, he will attempt to convince you that psychological science can benefit from examining the techniques of performing magicians and integrating them into experimental studies.

We all hold weird, irrational beliefs about the world around us. In fact, you probably hold some irrational beliefs that aren't even available to your consciousness! In this presentation, Dr. Barnhart will discuss the evolutionary and environmental factors that impact our tendencies toward magical thinking and the experiments that have shaped our understanding of these behaviors. Dr. Barnhart will take special aim at a set of widespread magical beliefs that persist in healthcare, from homeopathy to acupuncture and chiropractic "medicine."

The field of experimental psychology arose during a time steeped in wonder and mystery. Spiritualism gained widespread influence, proposing that death was not an end but a transition. Mesmerists claimed to heal all ailments through the laying-on of hands. Early psychologists did not merely react to these remarkable phenomena—they incorporated them into their investigations of the human mind.

In this two-man show, cognitive scientist Anthony Barnhart alongside occult aficionado Joe Diamond explore these mid-19th century curiosities through interactive experiments, psychological illusions, and compelling storytelling. [Press Kit]

Recent years have seen widespread interest in a “science of magic” that learns from the psychological insights and methods of magicians, who are themselves informal cognitive scientists testing their hypotheses in the real world. In just the last decade, renowned magicians have authored papers meant to be read not by magicians, but by scientists who study attention and perception. In his presentation, Dr. Barnhart will discuss the long history of interaction between psychologists and magicians. Along the way, using live performance and video, he will introduce some of the techniques and theories from the world of magic that have inspired research in laboratories around the world (including his own).

Every reputable scientist accepts the reality of the theory of evolution. No one denies that the brain evolved. However, application of the theory of evolution to behaviors introduces a host of logical problems. The scientific tools available to us for understanding the genesis of behaviors are generally incapable of enlightening us on the extent to which they are genetically endowed. In this presentation, Dr. Barnhart introduces the central tenets of evolutionary psychology and discusses some of the scientific findings and limitations that complicate our ability to differentiate evolutionary adaptations from learned behaviors, concluding that "just so" stories do not a science make.

The magician’s ultimate goal is to elicit wonder. Coincidentally, wonder also serves as a powerful entry point into inquiry. In education, wonder can be deliberately cultivated to activate students’ intrinsic motivation to learn. In this session, Dr. Anthony Barnhart will empower you to teach like a magician, coaching you on skills of the magician that easily translate to the classroom. Along the way, you’ll even learn a simple, adaptable magic effect that can be integrated across disciplines and instructional contexts to support diverse learning objectives.

Typically, approaches to pedagogy are student-centric. Indeed, administrators often call for more student-centric approaches to teaching, in service of improving retention. However, there are approaches to teaching that can be as beneficial to the instructor as they are to the students.  Counterintuitively, selfishness can be selfless! This informal, conversational presentation offers an opportunity to consider how faculty can engage in work that aids their profession development while also benefiting their students. (Read my InsideHigherEd essay on this topic here.)

Magic tricks exploit automatic assumptions and heuristics that allow for quick decisions in the natural world. As such, they can be a powerful tool for exemplifying the fallibility of cognitive systems and encouraging students to engage in skeptical, critical thought. In this workshop, Dr. Barnhart will teach some basic magic than anyone can perform and discuss how to employ magic across diverse classroom settings toward various learning objectives.

In this autobiographical presentation for psychology undergraduates and grad students, Dr. Barnhart uses the story of his unusual path through psychology to generate a recipe for satisfying lives and careers in the psychological sciences. The moral of the story is that there is no Royal Road to psychology; there are many Royal Roads to psychology, and students should be creative in paving their own vocational paths.

Recent years have seen widespread interest in and call for a “science of magic” that learns from the psychological insights and methods of magicians. In just the last decade, renowned magicians, like Teller, Mac King, James Randi, and Apollo Robbins, have authored papers meant to be read not by magicians, but by scientists who study attention and perception. Although much of the work up until now has been one-sided (in that scientists are benefiting from magicians), the collaboration should be a two-way street. In his presentation, Dr. Barnhart will illustrate some of the ways that magicians can enhance their performances by integrating principles and discoveries from cognitive science.